


One More Song

by vtn



Category: Zombieland (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-23
Updated: 2013-07-23
Packaged: 2017-12-21 01:56:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vtn/pseuds/vtn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Columbus tries to figure out how to tell Wichita his feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One More Song

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [quintenttsy](http://quintenttsy.livejournal.com)'s awesome prompt on [smallfandomfest](http://smallfandomfest.livejournal.com/).

If there is one thing Columbus has learned so far, it's that breaking the rules won't get you anywhere. After his first five attempts at starting the greatest rock band ever known to mankind, he created The Rules. And that's why Zombieland is the one that succeeded.

Their first single, "I Shot Bill Murray" hit the college radio stations right at that sweet spot when everyone is looking for a summer jam to play while they're driving across the country with the windows rolled down or kicking it on the porch with some good bros and good brews. And now Zombieland is going on tour, it's all falling into place the way Columbus planned it, and as long as he's following The Rules, everything just makes sense.

Well, everything except her.

Wichita. The cool code name thing was actually a rule improvised by Tallahassee, their crazy-eyed banjo player, but somehow it's worked for them. And Columbus knows why Tallahassee called her Wichita. There's something bewitching about her. Every word out of her is a joke, or a bit of biting sarcasm, or a complete lie. 

But when they're playing together -- something else happens entirely. When Little Rock picks up her drumsticks, closes her eyes, breathes in deep, and counts them in, and Columbus easily finds her rhythm with his bass, Tallahassee's banjo ringing out somewhere above them…there she is. She takes her guitar and makes it wail, pure emotion that she seems to be constantly hiding somewhere behind her eyes.

And she'll look at Columbus, then, and she'll smile.

\---

Amusingly enough, it's actually Little Rock's fault, when it finally happens. She catches Columbus when he's off guard, not remembering to be cool (god dammit, that's even in The Rules, #28, always be cool). He's sitting on top of the tour bus; he likes to do this when it's nice out, and she's standing underneath him in the parking lot at their motel which means he can't escape.

"Look," she says, hands on her hips, pouting, "Are you going to tell my sister you like her or what?"

"I--hey, whoa, wouldn't you murder me in my sleep if you did that anyway?"

"I would never murder anyone who isn't awake. You should put that in your stupid rule book." 

"Hey." Columbus regains a little bit of his confidence. "The Rules are not stupid. The Rules are the only reason you're in this band. #30, everyone loves a little kid." Her pout deepens. "You should be thankful. And anyway, you know what else is in the rules? #8. Don't. Date. Your bandmates."

"I told you they were stupid."

"They're not stupid!"

"Completely stupid." 

After a few minutes of back and forth like this Columbus gives up, sighs, leans back with his hands behind his head. "#3. When in doubt, sit down and shut up." Though granted, he's not too good at following that one.

"Never helped me." Little Rock spits and walks back toward the motel. But before she pulls open the door, she calls back out to Columbus, and says the one thing that makes him change his mind, the only thing that could. "It would make her so, so happy, you know that, right?"

\---

Columbus knows he's going to get it all wrong, so he plans ahead. They're going to play "Pacific Playland" as their encore, since it's Wichita's favorite, and that'll make her smile. And then he'll take her by surprise behind the curtain, and he'll hold her hand and say -- but that's the part he can't figure out, what he'll say. Because he's going outside the bounds of the Rules. And it bothers him to wing it. Even Tallahassee notices he looks twitchy as he passes them by before soundcheck.

"Well, twitchier'n usual," Tallahassee snorts as his back recedes.

Columbus's heart doesn't stop pounding through the whole set, but miraculously, he doesn't flub a note. The lights go dim, the audience claps rhythmically and chants one - more - song, the lights go back up. Columbus grins at Tallahassee and winks at Little Rock (and can't quite look Wichita in the eye) and barrels right into "Pacific Playland", sending up a wall of sound over the edge of the stage and through the crowd below.

And then everything goes black.

"Aww, shit," says Tallahassee after a moment. "You've gotta be kiddin' me."

"Power outage? Now?" Little Rock squeals in outrage. 

The backup lights flicker on, and Columbus can hear the crowd muttering in frustration and see them milling about.

Wichita tosses her hair, huffs…and starts strumming out the chords on her guitar. The crowd gets quiet again so they can hear her without her amp. Little Rock finds her practice drumsticks and plays a subdued version of the beat, and Tallahassee picks out his banjo part.

Without his amp, Columbus's bass is inaudible. He takes a deep breath and puts it down. He's bare before the crowd. But what can he do?

Always be cool, that's what. 

He sings the words of the song at the top of his lungs.

Wichita's next to him, and suddenly she seems shy, she's not goofing off and leaning up against his back, and she's not putting up her usual walls. She's just smiling a little bit, and looking at him through her hair, which is falling in her face. They play the song through to the end, and the applause is deafening. 

When the band goes to the middle of the stage for their usual group hug after they all bow, Columbus finds himself right up against Wichita, and he's so high on the elation of the crowd and the fact that they did it, they really did it, that he just gives in to that impulse he's always had, that impulse to tuck Wichita's hair back behind her ear. He's always wanted to do that.

Wichita blushes and looks away.

\---

But then backstage she asks him what he meant by it, after they pack up their instruments and Tallahassee is still out on the stage helping Little Rock get her drumset packed up. "I mean, if it meant anything," she says, like it's an afterthought.

"I have a rule," Columbus says, "That I can never, ever date a bandmate. It's just asking for trouble. It's like John and Yoko times a million. It ruins lives. So you have to understand, when I say this it's because I like you a lot, and you have to know it's incredibly hard--" he runs out of breath and she interrupts.

"You can't!" There's a catch in her voice. "You'd split up the band for me? I don't even…" She stops to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. 

"I was going to say," Columbus continues, "that sometimes, you have to break the rules."

"Oh," she says, and he says "Christa," and "I," and he doesn't need to finish because her lips are on his lips and nothing more needs to be said.


End file.
